Artist's Statement - Jay Rolfe
I want to honor, participate in, and continue the tradition of painting on canvas. I like the way it feels when I paint on stretched canvas, and I like the texture and look of finished paintings on canvas. Yet I always want to do things a little differently from everyone else. When I saw Robert Rauschenberg’s assemblages I realized I wasn’t limited to 2-D, and when I noticed Ellsworth Kelly’s shaped paintings, I realized I wasn’t limited to rectangles. I suddenly knew I had total freedom (which is one of my chief aims in life) in painting.
I create works that riff off popular iconic subjects, sometimes seriously or even with reverence, and other times with tongue-in-cheek humor or even with satire. I take a fresh look at contemporary culture by exploring the tension between our beloved popular icons, on the one hand, and reality as seen through the eyes of a mature artist on the other. I like to explore the passions of people. The popular iconic subjects I feature in my paintings are subjects that I’ve noticed that either I or other people feel passionate about.
I focus on creating paintings with a minimalist sensibility. My shaped canvases, often composed of a single bold color, can be considered objects in their own right. The minimalist sensibility appeals to me as the “essence” of a subject, and as a comment on and a counterpoint to the large quantities of “stuff” that fill our environments and represent the excess of consumption which is a hallmark of our consumer society. The shape and depth of the paintings help give them a strong presence and the addition of recognizable elements add impact and fulfill my desire to do things a little differently from everyone else.
I often use materials other than canvas when creating the shape and depth of my paintings. These other materials not only help make the subject of the painting more recognizable, but add powerfully to the impact of the work on the viewer.
I hope my works uplift the spirit, nourish the soul, and create beauty, vision, humor, and hope for the 21st Century.